Which mark knew a more inconstant and tortured past that Maserati? Since its integration in the bosom of Ferrari, Maserati seem to have found serenity without losing their heart. With its Quattroporte news, Maserati revisits with its genes a certain idea of the sporting luxury.

Written by : Gabriel LESSARD

It is into 1963 that Maserati, then still independent, had marketed with the account-drop its first Quattroporte drawn by Pietro Frua. Driven by V8 derived from a mechanics of race, it had marked the spirits. Thereafter, two other generations different of Quattroporte had been born. The second generation marketed in the Seventies were very square and really did not correspond to the sporting standards of the mark. Then it is during the Nineties, that the third generation had been marketed. Somewhat characterial, it had forged a reputation with share on the segment of the sporting top-of-the-range trucks. During all this genealogy, Maserati was resold with investors, then in Citroen, then in Alejandro de Tomaso and to finish, it is the group FIAT which repurchased Maserati and which integrated it in the bosom of Ferrari. That explains thus the assembly of V8 de Ferrari altered in the half-compartments WP which became references impossible to circumvent in the segment of the WP to very high performances.

CONCEPTION...
To join again with success on its sporting limousine, Maserati called upon the privileged partner of Ferrari: Pininfarina. Force is to recognize that the Italian dressmaker of the car made a success of a pleasant and elegant design. In spite of its more than 5 meters length, Maserati Quattroporte successful to make forget its gauge. The drawing of certain details in particular very is successful like the air intakes disseminated on the body with good taste, and cuts out it side panes very original and is succeeded. On the other hand the light units before and back miss originality and the rear view mirrors too clearly post their plastic hull. For mechanical architecture, Maserati used the receipts worthy of best the WP and which made the beautiful days of unquestionable WP with front engine at Porsche. Thus, V8 of 4,2 liters is mounted behind axle before (for the centring of the masses) and the gear box Cambiocorsa was rejected with the back. A system transaxle connects the engine and the box. Such an architecture supports obviously the distribution of the masses and Maserati Quattroporte posts 47% of the weight on before and 53% on the back. Such a provision, in spite of a total weight of 1.930 kg should have a positive incidence on the road behavior.

BAROQUE ENVIRONMENT !
The cockpits of Maserati are always moments of anthology. We are almost persuaded that any east builds around the antique shows central. And then only, the designers built the instrument panel around. In this Quattroporte, Maserati remains faithful to its tradition but by putting the manner at it. The unit is homogeneous and harmonious but without much originality. The materials used are on the other hand more interesting with in particular recourse to wood and titanium. That gives a little an environment of luxurious yacht. All the essential equipment on this type of limousine is present, but Maserati had the good idea to preserve traditional and basic orders. Such an amount of worse for the set ones on new technologies, but at least one should not click everywhere to modify the ambient temperature, if you see what I want to say… The seats are accessible and comfortable and back space is correct without more. To note the absence of gear shift lever since it is the robotized box Cambiocorsa which is assembled of office. Only a small lever makes it possible to pass the reverse gear.

ENGINE !
Sous le capot, c'est l'exceptionnel V8 de 4,2 dérivé de celui de la Ferrari 360 Modena, déjà installé sous le capot de la Maserati GT. S'il développe 390 ch sur le coupé, dans la Quattroporte il dégage 400 ch grâce à une gestion électronique moteur spécifique, mais également une distribution revue avec notamment un arbre à cames modifié. Comme tout bon V8 italien atmosphérique, ce moteur accepte avec bonheur de monter dans les tours, et présente donc des valeurs maximales de couple à un niveau relativement élevé (4 500 tr/mn). Pour transmettre la puissance au sol, c'est via la boîte Cambiocorsa déjà montée sur les Ferrari et la Maserati Coupé. Entièrement robotisée et dotée de 6 rapports, elle se met d'office sur le mode automatique, mais peut être dirigée par les palettes situées derrière le volant.

ON THE ROAD…
To carry out a limousine of more than 5 meters length, of almost 2 tons and to 400 CH encourages with prudence on the first kilometers. After having left itself filled with wonder by this single environment that release the cockpits baroques of Maserati, the exerted oil starts to detect some plastics unworthy on this level of price. On the other hand the quality of assembly clearly progressed. That will remain to be confirmed on the models produced thereafter. For the first turns of wheel, the party taken is to leave the box on the automatic mode. Bad idea as well the robotized box recalls us as is not an excellent automatic box which wants. In full curve, I find myself in free wheel, the passage of the a little long reports/ratios can appear diverting… I take again the hand, and Quattroporte appears under its true face. Accelerations are dantesques and the singing exercises of V8 atmo, in spite of the double glazing successful to thunder in the cockpit. Cravacher this V8 magic of the end of the fingers is a pure treat, and I even come from there to forget dimensions and the consequent weight of this noble Italian. The well designed frame (with original triangulation doubles before and back) and the architecture of the car favourable with a good balance make it possible to exploit to the maximum the possibilities of Quattroporte. The adaptive system Shyhook makes it possible to exploit the limits of Quattroporte as well as possible. The other side of the coin is a suspension a little hard with repercussions in the cockpit when the car runs to weak pace on bad coatings. A very good positive point on the power-assisted steering which was selected sufficiently hard so that the road still well is felt. Finally this Maserati Quattroporte is really separate in its segment. Vis-a-vis the German offer where all control on-is assisted, Maserati Quattroporte is certainly the only limousine which is still controlled. There is only the Jaguar XJR which places itself on the same ground, but its automatic box, moreover excellent, prevents it from fighting against Maserati.

CONCLUSION
A Maserati news is always a particular event. Especially when the Quattroporte label is arisen from the paperboards. Powerful, a innovating line, fabulous V8 and an environment with null another similar, Maserati Quattroporte is a real advisability of dissociating you in the category of the limousines. A caste of the experts, those which know to some extent…

103 400 Euros (01/03/2004)
34 CV
CHARACTERISTICS
Maserati Quattroporte MkIV
ENGINE
Type: 8 cylinders in V, 32 valves
Position: longitudinal Front
Alimentation: Elctronic Injection
Cubic capacity: 4 244 cm3
Power: 400ch at 7 000 tr/min
Torque: 45,9mkg at 4 500 tr/min
TRANSMISSION
REAR
Gear box: 6 speed robotized WEIGHT
1 930 kg
Ration weight/power : 4,8kg/ch
PERFORMANCES
Max sped: 275 km/h